


in the presence of their beloved.

by SirenSong



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Complicated Relationships, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Inspired by Fanfiction, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-06
Updated: 2018-04-06
Packaged: 2019-04-19 05:49:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14230668
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirenSong/pseuds/SirenSong
Summary: Thus the first order all Duly Appointed Enforcers would receive is the deceptively simple task of keeping the appearance of Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus’ Conjunx bond alive and well. Tyrest did his best to emphasise it was the appearance of the bond, not the bond itself. He also tried to downplay the presence of Hot Rod much as he could whenever he explained these circumstances to the new wearer of the armour.But that didn’t mean the selected Enforcers, those who were chosen to take up the mantle and the identity and all that came with it, wouldn’t have their own spin to the task.( Or how Ultra Magnus attempts to love Hot Rod — Again and again and again. )





	in the presence of their beloved.

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Living up to the Legend](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3587022) by [Apricots_from_Nara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apricots_from_Nara/pseuds/Apricots_from_Nara). 



> **Pairings** : Ultra Magnus/Hot Rod. Various/Hot Rod. Minimus Ambus/Rodimus Prime.
> 
>  **Warnings** : An implied unhealthy relationship with one of the Enforcers - Convoy - that brought a lot of stress and anxiety to Hot Rod. Implied rough handling of a partner.
> 
>  **General Notes** : For RodiMags Week that is being held from April 1 to April 7. More information can be found [here](http://apricots-from-nara.tumblr.com/post/171500667005). There are no set prompts for this so I made my own set for this event.
> 
>  **Current Notes** : I was planning to do the entire week but Circumstances™ cropped up. As a result here is my only contribution to this event. Possibly. Let's see if I can at least crank out two more prompts.

At the time it was an order and one designed to be practical, nothing more.

It was all in the name of keeping Hot Rod in the dark, to keep him from finding out about what really happened to his beloved Ultra Magnus. Though Chief Justice Tyrest would have preferred the quick and painless use of mnemosurgery so the matter was permanently settled, there was just too much evidence, too many witnesses to the deep and fierce bond the two had. This couldn’t be brushed aside.

Thus the first order all Duly Appointed Enforcers would receive is the deceptively simple task of keeping the appearance of Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus’ Conjunx bond alive and well. Tyrest did his best to emphasise it was the appearance of the bond, not the bond itself. He also tried to downplay the presence of Hot Rod much as he could whenever he explained these circumstances to the new wearer of the armour.

But that didn’t mean the selected Enforcers, those who were chosen to take up the mantle and the identity and all that came with it, wouldn’t have their own spin to the task. Because much as they would do their best to act like how they think Ultra Magnus would act, it would still be up to them and their interpretation that is coloured by their life, their views, their ideas of what is just and good and right.

Which also extended to how they would express their supposed bond to the speedster who was whispered to have optics blue as the Well’s welcoming light.

So they all loved him — or tried to love him — in their own different ways, and for their own different reasons.

———————————————————————————

Suture, the first of the Enforcers and the standard that all others would look up to later down the line, felt like it was an honour to love Hot Rod. He had been close to the original Magnus when he was still alive. As a result Suture had heard many, many stories of Hot Rod’s antics and adventures, smiles and sweet nothings. He mourned Magnus’ death and vowed to honour his friend’s memory when he was approached by Tyrest, willing to do right for both his friend and his friend's Conjunx.

He did his best when it came to protecting and providing for Hot Rod during his time as Ultra Magnus. Though the war was beginning to take a brutal turn, Suture made it a point to send a message out to Hot Rod’s outpost every other day to assure the speedster he was alive and well. A mixture of genuine fondness and a sense of duty coloured Suture’s  _I love you_  whenever the pair were alone, lingering together long enough to exchanges kisses and promises to the other before duty called them both away.

Suture perhaps is the closest one to the real Ultra Magnus in Rodimus’ mind. The two were so close in personality and intentions that, sometimes, Rodimus still has difficulties telling when Ultra Magnus died and when Suture stepped in.

———————————————————————————

After Suture fell it would be Datum who would take the name of Ultra Magnus and an unsuspecting Hot Rod as his.

Truth be told Datum had always been in love with Hot Rod and so the assignment was one he took to swimmingly. The Praxian had admired Hot Rod’s laughter and looks from afar and his envy-green spark was forever a maelstrom of jealousy and grief whenever Hot Rod would smile that gorgeous smile of his up at Magnus and only Magnus.

He was the most protective of the Enforcers when he was given the chance to have all he wanted and more. Datum was a happy mech and it showed in his time as Magnus. His version of Ultra Magnus was indulgent with Hot Rod’s wants and needs, happy to openly kiss his lover in public instead of staying in the shadows. He was more willing to joke and tease, going as far to have a light and friendly banter with Skids while he dragged the theoretician off to the brig.

Most importantly of all he never allowed Hot Rod — ‘Rodders’, as was his nickname for him, a nickname that would be used over and over again in the long centuries to come — to stray far from him, with Datum going as far to insist that he should be allowed to accompany Hot Rod during the speedster’s missions to ensure his safety. What kind of Conjunx would he be if he didn’t keep him safe?

For once in his life, Chief Justice Tyrest was worried that he did not have control over the situation. How the Chief Justice seethed and stewed upon seeing who Datum sided with, already beginning to make arrangements for Datum’s eventual retirement. He wouldn’t go out of his way to kill Datum _no_. That would be against his very laws. He merely wasn’t as careful in his briefings when it came to Datum’s missions, so busy with his other duties.

Perhaps that was why he had allowed Datum to be assigned to the battle of Hell’s Point, (apparently) not realising for himself that Megatron would be there in disguise. How unfortunate.

———————————————————————————

Tyrest was more selective of his candidates after Datum’s demise. He made it a point from that time on to find someone who valued work over companionship. Someone who would pick order over love. Someone who would side with duty, time and again, over their own relationships.

Someone like Blockus.

It was by sheer luck that Block had a type when it came to his berthmates. The Enforcer was quick to fall in lust with Hot Rod, eagerly taking in the bright colours of his frame and the grin that reached the brilliant blue of those pretty, pretty optics. Oh, Blockus was easily enamoured with the vivacious speedster but knew better than to behave badly as Datum.

He kept Hot Rod at a distance in public for ‘appearance’s sake’, explaining his past behaviour as a mistake on his part. He tried to make up for it when they were alone in his habsuite, quickly establishing himself as the most physically affectionate of the Enforcers with how often he kissed and groped or hugged the willing speedster in the dark and quiet hours.

And while this relationship maybe the most shallow — Blockus only going through the motions of keeping the presumed bond up between him and Rodders — there was still something about this part of his life that Rodimus enjoyed and liked. Sometimes the speedster would look back to these times with a fondness to his laughter, a sense of nostalgia and wistfulness in his dim optics while he spoke of Times Before and Remember Whens.

———————————————————————————

Ramp took over the armour when Blockus passed away.

Just barely however.

At first Tyrest had been nervous to select the loadbearer for the job when he saw where he came from. Not only did Ramp come from Nyon but both Ramp and Hot Rod came from the Alyon region. If it had been another time than perhaps Tyrest would have rejected this candidate and looked for someone else to take the place of the Magnus Armour.

But times were desperate then thanks to the Autobots finally gaining momentum against the Decepticons and all servos were needed. His other two candidates — the Primal Vanguard member and the one from the House of Ambus — were unavailable and his agents were still unable to locate New Crystal City to look for the third candidate he had in mind.

To the Chief Justice’s relief, Ramp was adequate enough in his duties and his knowledge of the Accord. Most importantly he did not end up smitten with Hot Rod. He viewed the other Nyonian as an endearing (if bratty) little sibling thanks to their shared ties. While he could never bring himself to become intimate with Hot Rod due to their relations of a sorts, Ramp was, perhaps, the most understanding and patient of the Enforcers.

During Hot Rod’s stormier days and darker moods, he was willing to wait for Hot Rod to tire himself out whenever the speedster wound himself up in a fit or was laid low by a sudden pique that had him sulking for days on end. While the others often saw Hot Rod as being a brat or being difficult in these times, Ramp saw how different Hot Rod had become after his batchmate brought both salvation and damnation to Nyon.

Later on, Rodimus would come to remember Ramp’s version of Ultra Magnus as the kindest.

———————————————————————————

Convoy’s love was a darker type of love.

If one could call it love at all.

It was a possessive and suspicious affection Convoy felt for the Nyonian who he saw more as a treasure than a lover, a thing to keep than to care for. So determined to uphold the legacy and image of Ultra Magnus, Convoy soon came to view Hot Rod as a possession more than an individual in his attempts to stand out against all the other Enforcers.

Rodimus doesn’t like to think about this time all that much. He merely calls this period of time ‘the Rough Patch’ between him and Magnus, speaking very little of the stress he felt whenever he found himself bombarded with questions or the anxiety that surged through his wires if he saw Ultra Magnus’ comm coordinates on his HUD.

And yet— Rodimus knew he went along with it. He went along with it, looked the other way like he had done for the countless other times Magnus acted off or weird, because it was _Ultra Magnus_.

His Ultra Magnus. His Mags.

Why wouldn’t he trust him after all they’ve been through?

———————————————————————————

( Minimus Ambus knew the exact moment he fell in love with Rodimus.

Not Hot Rod.

Rodimus.

Loving Hot Rod had been a duty to him, first and foremost. An order he carried out to the best of his abilities. A task he tried to carry out with the most efficiency. A job he tended to with the utmost care he could afford while fielding all the other tasks required of him.

He cared for Hot Rod in his own way - mostly in the form of trying to get Hot Rod to remember at least a quarter of the Autobot Code - but he knew better than to call his affection and his fondness for Hot Rod love. Not even close to it.

Yet as Minimus watched Rodimus willingly allow himself to be strung up against the killswitch, held back by wires and regrets and desires to right his wrongs if he made it out of this alive, the last Enforcer realised just why his spark ached at the thought of Rodimus not making through this.

For Rodimus smiled at him and Minimus realised it was still the same loving smile Rodimus showed only to Ultra Magnus. )

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt for Day 01: _Do all lovers feel helpless and valiant in the presence of their beloved?_
> 
> You can hit me up on [my regular Tumblr account](https://alyonian.tumblr.com/), [NSFW TF Tumblr account](https://starschemer.tumblr.com/), and/or [Twitter account](https://twitter.com/withersake) if you want more little robots in bigger robots falling in love with Dorito robots.


End file.
